The Craft of Professional Writing, Second Edition

“Few places on the planet are as cutthroat as Silicon Valley. I’ve had a front-row seat for the past 30 years watching Mike build his reputation as the most creative writer and editor the Valley has to offer. He’s earned that distinction by being as innovative, thoughtful, and hardworking in his craft as any of the Valley’s best entrepreneurs.” — Ed Clendaniel, Editorial Page Editor, The Mercury News “In the era of generative AI, there’s nothing more important than what Michael S. Malone has to say about the art of communication. He reveals how words (and he shares 200,000 of them) inspire us, motivate us, and move us to shape our world. Required reading for humans.” —Andrea Cunningham, Legendary Public Relations Executive (Apple, Pixar, Cisco), and Author. “This is a dangerous book. Once you’ve read it, there’s no going back. You’ll get why most writing is bad: Lazy craft. The poverty of facts. Laughable logic. Boredom bordering on torture. Walk away! If your bureaucratic job demands you turn out crap, just walk away. This book is not for you. Rather, it is for writers who strive to be read and remembered. Whose job it is to inform, motivate, entertain, and delight. On my desk are George Orwell’s Why I Write and Stephen King’s On Writing. It is now joined by Michael S. Malone’s The Craft of Professional Writing. Yep, that good.” —Rich Karlgaard, Former Publisher, Editor-at-large, and Futurist, Forbes; Author of Late Bloomers “Ever helpful, practical, and inspiring, MichaelS. Malone offers a friendly, nuts-and-bolts approach to craft writing that makes professional writing seem wonderfully possible as a career.” — Ron Hansen, Novelist and Professor, Department of English, Santa Clara University, USA “This is the defining book for professional writers at every stage of their careers. I wish I had this book when I started out; hell, I wish I had it a year ago.” —Tom Hayes, Paramount Pictures Executive, Author, Screenwriter “From blogging to tech writing to news reporting, MichaelS. Malone understands that behind all the words has to lie humanity and understanding. He writes from the perspective of someone who’s been there and knows that writing is about creating trust and relationships. This is a very important book and will no doubt improve the career opportunities of anyone who reads it.” —Scott Budman, NBC Television Tech/Business Reporter